Do you have a daily trend with symptoms?

[[mo...]]

Over the past few months of tapering Clonazepam, I seem to have noticed that I have a daily trend regarding my symptoms...

 

Now, to me, the symptoms I have are really affecting my quality of life.  But, I know many of you have had things MUCH MUCH worse!

 

Anyway...

 

For me, I still can sleep overnight (I go to bed and feel the night tremors start, muscle twitches at times, some tinnitus, but I can usually sleep through this at this point).  When I wake up, if I don't feel overly exhausted (for no apparent reason...I used to be quite the morning person), I usually feel good.

 

I take a morning and night-time dose of Clonazepam (just tapered to .031 mg morning & .031 mg night).

 

Usually mid-morning through mid-afternoon is the worst time for symptoms.  I feel yucky, sometimes sick, sometimes dizzy, sometimes can't focus, etc...  Monday-Friday I'm at work during this period, but when I first get to work (6:30-7:30 a.m.), I usually feel pretty good.  But 9-4 or 5 p.m. is usually the worst period for me.  I sit behind a computer most of the day at work.  If I am out and getting exercise or doing distracting things, it seems to help.

 

Usually by around 7 p.m. at night, I start to feel better.  Sometimes I stay up late just BECAUSE it's nice to have that window where I am feeling better.  So, I don't know why I have this trend, but it seems to have been holding pretty steady lately.  Of course, if I get to bed TOO late, I risk giving myself a migraine the next day or feeling even more like crap throughout the day.

 

Anyway, just wondering if anyone else has noticed a little bit of reason or rhyme to this madness...?

 

moto joe

 

 

[[go...]]

Yes, same here.  Feel fine first thing in the morning, then between 10-5, utter hell.  Then by around 7-8, I start to do better where by 10 I'm almost normal.  Then it repeats.  Every day.

 

A lot of people experience this and I swear if we could get to the bottom of why this happens, it would help many.  Some say it is high cortisol levels, but I disagree.  I had my cortisol levels checked and they were high first thing in the morning, a little high at noon and normal the rest of the day.  Certain methods of lowering cortisol have not made a difference (Vitamin C, Seriphos).

 

If anyone has any insight, let's hear it!

[[Je...]]

Yes I do.  I feel crappy when I get up.  I take a Xanax at 6AM....I still feel crappy....

 

I take another dose mid morning...after which it calms me down a bit...then within a couple hours, I am hit wit intense Interdose WD, where I feel like I'm going insane.

 

Early afternoon, dose number 3 and it hopefully lowers my agitation level somewhat.

 

Evening, 4-5 I take my last dose of the day.  Oddly this is sometimes the most sedating one of the day and might leave me feeling shitty.

 

Evenings after 6 are usually better.  Sometimes I even feel near normal.  I sit around and wonder wtf is happening to me.    I never want to go to bed, because the same pattern begins in the morning.

 

[[Ki...]]

I have a slightly different pattern but it occurs every day. Feel like crap when I get up until about 11am, and then slowly improve throughout the day until I feel pretty darn good at night. I too do not want to go to bed because I am enjoying feeling well. But if I stay up too late I may not fall asleep until 2 or 3. So, yes, this process has a definite pattern. Have read about it here many times.

[[Th...]]

Yes, i feel worst between 11am and 5pm.  Evenings are the best part of my day.

[[th...]]

Best time for me is 11am to 5pm....anything in between is rough! Mornings are awful!

 

Grinch

[[ru...]]

Usually worse in morning and gradual improvement as day goes on. Some days are like a box of cock-o-lates.....never know what the F*** is going on inside my head 

[[mi...]]

I also feel bad in the morning. Very tense. It seems to get better after lunch and i also have the best time in the evening. I am also lucky because i can sleep at night.

[[ME...]]

Hi

I also feel bad and sometimes very bad in the morning, maybe the burden of work adds to it.  I feel better late in afternoon, looking forward going home and got some relaxation and comfort.

 

MEexpat

[[mo...]]

Wow.  I hadn't read that this was actually common, it was just something I noticed with myself.  I was just curious and by all of your responses, I guess it's not just me!  That is interesting....I wonder what's up with it, as we clearly are all on different benzos, different strengths, taken at different times, yet most  seem to feel the worst throughout the day and better at night.

 

Anybody else?

 

Thanks,

 

moto joe

[[Be...]]

I'm jealous of any Windows you get. I have not had one at all in over a month. I miss them so much. That Mid day feeling you describe is me 24/7. So I guess I'm saying, count your blessings. Windows really give you a chance to refill your soul/spirit so you can fight through the know window times. I'd do anything to even have a 30min window. You're very lucky.

[[Sc...]]

I have a similar situation. Ok when first wake up, around 9am starts going downhill, feel like crap most of the day and around 6 to 8pm it improves greatly, lots of the time I almost feel normal. There are variations sometime morning is awful and after lunch starts to improve for rest of day. I used to get to sleep ok but always wake up between 2;30 and 4am with adrenaline rushes, all revved up.

 

Now at 1mg I feel like crap all the time and can't get to sleep either, when I begin to dose off I am jerked awake with a rush of anxiousness in my lower GI, wtf is that!?

Good luck.

[[Ba...]]

I feel the worst in the mornings. I think it has a lot to do with the 3 am wake up and then the tossing and turning, pins and needles, and nightmares I have after that time. My morning dose i hardly feel gives any relief (I can't take it until 9:10am even though I have to rise by 7 due to driving the school run). I will often feel dreadful all day and only start to feel better at bedtime. I don't stay up then though, I use the more relaxed state to help me get some solid sleep (bedtime is about 10:30-11:30 in general). I always feel even worse symptoms after an evening cut. Insomnia has always been an issue for me so this may be why.

 

I have tested high in cortisol every blood work taken, high enough to be considered Cushing's syndrome. I also have Graves' disease (hyperthyroidism) which makes me very skinny. The Endocronoligist's I see never takes my Cushing's tests seriously due to my very low weight (I'm 5f8 and weigh under 100pounds) not sure exactly what in pounds as we use kgs here.

 

I do hope things get better for you - good luck xoxo

[[Tr...]]

My mornings are the worst, it's a toss up as to what sx I'm going to be hit with.  I take my morning dose at 7:00am, doesn't seem to do much.  I feel funky all day until about 7pm or 8pm.  I take me second dose at 7pm.  My body feels exhausted from the mental and physical strain of the day.  I do some stretches and listen to music. 

 

I start to feel more "normal" from 8pm until about 10:30pm or 11:00pm.  I try to go to bed early, I paid the price a couple times staying up too late. 

 

The next day it repeats.  It's annoying. 

 

TRY

 

 

[[Br...]]

I jumped almost a month ago. My symptoms are on a bell curve. I wake up every morning with a moderate headache and dizziness. It subsides after my morning coffee and yogurt. I usually feel good through the day, then the symptoms slowly return in the evening until I lay down. After about 30 minutes in total silence, I fall asleep to start the cycle over again the next day.

[[cs...]]

Yes, same here.  Feel fine first thing in the morning, then between 10-5, utter hell.  Then by around 7-8, I start to do better where by 10 I'm almost normal.  Then it repeats.  Every day.

 

A lot of people experience this and I swear if we could get to the bottom of why this happens, it would help many.  Some say it is high cortisol levels, but I disagree.  I had my cortisol levels checked and they were high first thing in the morning, a little high at noon and normal the rest of the day.  Certain methods of lowering cortisol have not made a difference (Vitamin C, Seriphos).

 

If anyone has any insight, let's hear it!

 

Amazing that there are other with this same diurnal pattern! It is the same for me except my surge of adrenalin starts in the morning around 8, then hangs all day and 10-5 is utter hell, just like you, then by 8-9pm, it dissipates, and by 11pm, I feel normal, then the cycle repeats.  Unless you have your cortisol levels measured via saliva, urine and blood, you won't know. I have. And mine are definitely elevated. I have tried PA, Seriphos, and none helped. What I don't know if this is a direct cause of the drugs, interdose w/d, or my own anxiety. But this did start after I was on Valium for a few weeks and non-consecutively. I would definitely say cortisol plays an important role in this.

 

This might be the answer: Benzodiazepines and sleeping pills initially suppress Cortisol production, but tolerance to the medication and withdrawals can produce severe stress that in turn causes the adrenal glands to produce higher amounts of Cortisol. 

[nobbc]http://www.pointofreturn.com/adrenal_fatigue.html[/nobbc]

 

 

 

 

Edit:  deactivated commercial link

~Juliea

 

[[bk...]]

I wait all day for early evening.  Same thing everyday. I don't like to go to bed, either.  It does make you wonder why this can't be figured out. Kay

[[cs...]]

As the article I posted eludes to - benzos and sleeping meds will disrupt the natural cortisol rhythm by initially suppressing cortisol, but tolerance and withdrawal will eventually increase it. I think that's why we feel better at night, as cortisol drops. Speaking of which, I am measuring my saliva cortisol today.